Robin Hallows
by dreamer-and-dreamless
Summary: After a childhood accident involving a sick Minccino cost Robin her father and her confidence, she and her two best friends leave home in hopes to not only find out what really happened when her dad went missing seven years ago, but also so she could learn to love the creatures she now feared. The thing is, Robin's got a lot more problems than she's realized...
1. Prologue

Okay, so I've kind of been working on this for a... while, or whatever. I had no intention on sharing it, but I was kind of pushed into it. You don't have to read it if you don't want to. Sorry I have like issues with sharing stuff like this I'm like blushing super hard right now I keep looking at that little X that will take me the frick out of here.

I thought I'd start off right here by mentioning that I most definitely don't own Pokemon or any of the shenanigans involving them. And this story shall be like my version of the events in Pokemon Black Version, and may/may not have themes like Checkmateshipping, Rebelshipping, Ferriswheelshipping and _kinda _sorta not really Chessshipping. Okay so now I'll start naming a few facts I've developed about the characters, they aren't exactly canon or anything I hope you don't mind.

Robin Hallows (Touko)- 5'8", slender body type, fast runner, long legs, really really blue eyes, wavy dark brown hair. When she was a little girl she got sick from a diseased Pokemon, her dad disappeared while he was traveling Unova trying to find a cure. She survived, but had developed a phobia against Pokemon since then. She was supposed to initially go on her Pokemon journey when she was twelve like everyone else, but her phobia prevented her from doing so, and now that she's seventeen she wants to get over her fear, and find out what really happened to her dad. She's got a little sister named Lisa (Mei in BW2) who goes to boarding school in Kanto, her cousin is Ruby (from Ruby and Sapphire) who's away at college. She's not nearly as confidant as other versions of this character, but takes great pride in her family name.

Cheren Toro- 6'0", her best friend, has a lot of enemies in school because has a tendency to back-sass his fellow classmates when they make fun of him for hanging out with two girls or his grades or his fashion sense. He's got an older brother, Victor, who bullied Cheren for his dream of being Pokemon Champion all through his childhood until he left for college, causing Cheren to suffer from low self esteem. He's also got a little sister who's significantly younger than him named Anissa. I'm thinking he's got some Spanish blood in him. It would be cute if he could speak Spanish to his grandparents, but he's ashamed of it. Holy hell that's adorable.

Bianca Juarez- 5'0", curvy, Robin's best friend. She's got a half brother Barry (from Diamond and Pearl) from her mom's previous marriage who primarily lives with his dad. She's got like a slight Tennessee accent she tries to hide. Has a bubbly personality and seems really naive, but is surprisingly wise in many ways.

Marcus "Mark" Reed (Touya)- Robin's ex-boyfriend. They went out for two years but broke up when he left for college, though they still maintain a close friendship. He's a year older than everyone else and his best friend is Ruby. Cheren doesn't like him very much.

Okay I think I got everything down about the super main characters. Sorry if you don't like all of the stuff I've come up with but ya know I spent a good long time thinking about it and I'm more than likely not going to change it.

* * *

**Prologue**

Okay, enough is enough.

Robin had applied for this Pokedex so long ago it felt like years had passed. She had signed every paper, fought every battle, and took every test they pushed at her. What was _taking _so long? Bianca had told her this would happen. "You shouldn't go alone," she had said. "You know how impatient you are." Believe it or not, Bianca and Cheren _had_ come with her, they were just split up for separate interviews. What wouldn't she give to have her two best friends in that room with her now...

"Hey there!"

Robin yelped, grabbing her throat defensively as she spun around to greet the woman behind the voice. She was very tall, and very pretty, probably in her mid-thirties with very faint laugh-lines and cloud colored eyes, wearing a green dress-suit and a shockingly white lab-coat, her pale, sand colored hair pulled over her head in a classy up-do. She had actually come around a couple times earlier to offer her something to read, but left before Robin could complain to her.

Now, as she got closer, Robin noticed the Pokeball the woman had been turning between her fingers. She fought back a flinch, eyed it warily, and took a deep, calming breath. "Um, hi," she replied rather sheepishly, feeling foolish for having been so startled. "Is it time for the interview yet?"

"Of course," the woman replied with incredulous eyes, like the very thought that she was there for some other purpose was entirely inconceivable in their universe. "I'm Professor Juniper, or the 'Pokemon Professor', if you prefer. I'm who you'll be reporting to if you get picked for this particular mission." Robin's ears rang at the lingering "if" in the room. She frowned.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot your name," the professor apologized, coming around to sit at the small metal desk positioned across from the door, right next to what she suspected to be one-way glass. She motioned at the second chair as she began to thumb through the stack of Robin's test papers. Robin smiled, reaching her hand out to shake Juniper's. "I'm Robin Hallows."

"Oh, of course!" she paused, pressing her lips together thoughtfully. "You aren't, by any chance, related to Professor Thomas Hallows, are you?"

"Yes ma'am. He was my father," Robin answered proudly. The professor smiled a little, but her eyes were sad. "He was a good man, your father. You've got his spirit."

"Th- thank you." she glanced down at the stack of papers, but couldn't make sense of her messy handwriting while it was upside down. Did she really have his spirit? How did the professor know? "Does this mean I get the job?" she piped up, hopefully.

Professor Juniper chuckled, nodding. "Yes, I think so. Let's just finish up this paperwork so you can get home, shall we?" Robin's interview didn't last nearly as long as the wait for it had. She was asked about her ideals, her friends, her mom. Her cousin who's lived with them since he was fourteen, her little sister Lisa in Kanto, what she would and certifiably could do in an emergency situation. The professor mentioned somewhere that she had gone to college with her dad, but hadn't known his family lived in Nuvema when she was transferred here. The story fascinated Robin- she wanted to know what her dad was like before she knew him, but they were running out of time. Luckily, there would be plenty of other past colleagues to pester when this mission starts.

Finally, the questions ceased and she was freed from the stuffy metal room at long last. It nearly broke her heart how much she missed her best friend's familiar face again, no matter how mildly started it seemed when she had backed into him, or how suddenly uncomfortable she was once he turned his attention to her. "Oh, Ch- Cheren," she stammered, pretending to concentrate hard on that funny tuft of black hair that seemed to always stick up on his head no matter how hard anyone tries to pat it down.

"Hey Robin. Are you done? Can we leave now?"

"Yes," Robin sighed dramatically, waving towards the door in relief. "Let's get out of here. I've been here too long." She paused. "Where's Bianca?"

"Bathroom." He scratched the end of his sleeve as he nodded towards the ladies' restroom. "I can't imagine what she's been doing in there for the past twenty minutes, though."

Cheren is what is commonly known as a "nerdling", at least in the confines of their high school. He is lanky and very tall at a solid six-foot-zero, the perfect type of guy for her and Bianca to depend on their whole lives, but with his really good grades, his love to wear more conservative clothing, and his demeaning way of _speaking_ to people sometimes... well, he was pretty deep in on the unpopular side and had a _lot_ of enemies he had to deal with.

Robin joined him in leaning against the wall as they waited, immediately swallowing them in awkward silence just like she always did since Christmas last year; she sneaked a peek at her friend, but he wasn't doing anything interesting, only gazing at the floor through his frameless rectangle glasses, thinking to himself. She frowned: why did it bother her so much not to know what he's thinking about?

"Robin! I thought you'd _never_ get out of there!" Bianca exclaimed, skipping out of the bathroom as her makeup and old receipts fell out of her bag in a trail behind her. Typical Bianca, small and curvy, is the opposite of Cheren. Her emotions are so loud, it's almost impossible not to know what's going on, but she constantly appears to be confused and completely clueless to anything and everything that goes on around her.

Robin sighed, coming to her friend's rescue.

* * *

It gets better, I pinky swear. I'm probably going to submit the next chapter tomorrow, though I'm more than positive nobody's going to actually read this... oh well, I don't care.


	2. Chapter 1

Okay at this point my self-esteem is like oh-so totally gone. Yep, I'm most definitely considering not continuing this. Sorry if my title or description made anyone think that this story was going to be any less lame than it will actually end up being. Oh well, I guess I can just live in shame.

* * *

**The Beginning (Lack of a Better Title)**

"So... Bianca was thinking that when we leave for this..." She paused, momentarily distracted by the sudden attention of her friend's dark blue eyes. She and Cheren were spending their morning the same way they always did when her mom was away: watching cartoons in her room until Bianca came over to give them something to do. It was partially because in their small hometown of Nuvema there wasn't much to do except watch TV and visit each other's houses, but mostly because Robin just didn't want to be alone. The whole concept made a shiver go down her spine.

She tried again. "When we leave for this adventure thing, it could be like our 'coming-of-age' journey. I know we didn't really get to have one when everyone else did, and I heard it's really important to-"

"I have a question."

"A- a question?" she stammered, distractedly.

"Yeah. What's in that box I saw on the living room table downstairs?" he asked, nodding towards the stairs. Robin raised her eyebrows, getting clumsily to her feet. "There's a box down there?" She scurried down the steps and sure enough, there it was: a blue and green gift-box placed acutely on her living room coffee table, right next to the house keys she had left down here last night. She spun around, accidentally slapping Cheren in the face with her ponytail. He grabbed it by its end, annoyed, and tossed it over her shoulder. "So, you don't know where the box came from," he stated, just to be sure.

Somehow, somewhere between when Robin finally drifted to sleep on the couch at two in the morning and when Cheren let himself in at eight, the box had been smuggled into her house without her knowing. How could she have not seen this? She'd been sleeping right there! Then she realized just what the box was. "They came," she breathed, trying to sound excited as she struggled to run across the smooth surface of her floorboards in her socks. She could hear the soft tapping of Cheren calmly following. "You mean the starters?"

"Duh. What else?"

"I thought we weren't supposed to get them until next week."

"You thought wrong. We get them now, so be excited!"

"Oh, right." For a couple seventeen-year-old kids who were supposed to be excited, they were failing miserably. Robin could feel her heart pounding in her chest so hard it made her sick to her stomach, and her head started to feel numb once she realized that Bianca was going to be late... as usual. And Cheren, well, he's too _Cheren_ for that sort of nonsense.

He brought the box up to her room when it became clear that she wasn't planning on touching it anytime soon, and placed it at the foot of her bed. They continued to gawk at it for several minutes. "Are... are you ready for this?" Cheren mumbled finally, almost like he was still half considering his words.

"Of course I am," she snapped, but inside she wasn't so sure. The heat rushed to her face as she felt him watching her, but tried her best to ignore it, pretending to stare in awe at her bedsheets for forever, until Cheren once again broke the silence. "What's keeping Bianca, anyways?"

"I'm not sure-" As if on cue, they heard a loud bang from downstairs, followed by the scuffling sound of Bianca tripping up the stairs in her difficult skirt. She reached the top on all fours, her hat askew. She sat up, fluttering her hands. "Am I late _again_? I am _so_ sorry-"

"_Bianca_..."

"Cheren, shut up," Robin warned, but of course he was too stubborn to listen to what's good for him. As usual. "Seriously, Bianca? Seventeen years of forgetting _every little thing_? Today's too important!" he complained, making Bianca flush. She got up and dusted herself off, as if looking presentable could fix her timing problems. Robin smacked Cheren in the back of his head. "What was that for?" he whispered, moving his hand to where she had hit him.

"I said shut _up_, didn't I?"

"Sorry guys," Bianca apologized again, reaching up to touch both of their shoulders with her "apologetic" look on her face. Then she was back to business. "So where are the Pokemon? I heard they were coming today. I say Robin gets first pick."

"Naturally," Cheren smiled slightly, pushing his glasses further up his nose and waving her forward. Robin took a step, and froze.

Okay, so she was nervous. She had good reason to be. Once upon a time when she was a little girl, her father Professor Hallows would bring Pokemon he studied home from work and let her and her sister play with them- that is, until one of them bit her. She got really sick, _really _fast, and before long, her dad decided that he had to leave in order to find out what, exactly, she was sick of, and to find the cure. It was during that long journey that he had disappeared, and was never seen again. Robin was sick for two years- she almost died- and since then she hadn't been able to go anywhere _near_ another Pokemon. Who could blame her, all things considered?

But this was her one shot to get over her past; she, and _especially_ her two best friends (who endured her most difficult episodes and helped her through being re-exposed to Pokemon again, which wasn't a very pleasant experience for any of them), had gone through too much to turn back now. So then why was she still so overwhelmed?

Bianca squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, but only moments later she broke the tension with a huge, dramatic gasp. "There's a note!" she squealed, forgetting Robin's distress in that moment as she grabbed the card and flipped the box open.

Robin opened her mouth to complain at Bianca's impatience, but once she saw the three Pokeballs placed neatly in the silk bedding inside she was too consumed in her own self-readiness to speak. _This is it_, she told herself. _This is what we were waiting for_. Automatically, she let herself tip to the side and leaned her head against Cheren's shoulder. He reached around her to take the piece of paper away from Bianca, holding it matter-of-factually as he looked it over. "Professor Juniper says... that she brought three different Pokemon, one for each of us. And to choose wisely."

"She wants us to choose?"

"I guess so, Bianca. Otherwise, she wouldn't have written it here."

"You don't have to be a jerk about it, Cheren." Bianca bit her lip, hurt for a moment, but just stuck her tongue out and proceeded to ignore him. "Okay, so Robin still goes first. Wait, which one's which? Aren't we supposed to open them?"

"In a _second_, Bianca! Just let her concentrate." Robin didn't want the attention back on her so soon, but now they were almost staring at her, waiting for her to make her first move. So she straightened up, bit her lip, and tapped one.

The spherical containment unit for each Pokemon is generally red on one half and white on the other, specially designed to keep all parts of a Pokemon held inside, including their powers. But there was something that the Pokeball company hadn't thought of, and being able to see that little spark of information is what makes Robin so special.

When she was first infected by that Pokemon, her parents didn't think she was going to live through it. They hoped, sure, but it lasted so long and got so bad that no one really knew for sure that she would be able to fight it much longer. Bianca and Cheren were so worried, they didn't even go to school for the last couple months where she couldn't even leave her bed (Yeah, hard to believe, Cheren skipping school). And when they learned that her father had disappeared it got worse, as if the hope she had that he was finding a way to help her was the only thing keeping her alive.

Then one night, everything changed. She couldn't exactly remember what happened- the door springing open, a flash of light. She was sure she had been dreaming, though what she saw lurching into her room, flooding her room in white light and almost blinding her, was more terrifying and beautiful than anything she could ever imagine in a dream. She still doesn't know what happened next. And now she's got this... understanding of Pokemon. In a way unlike any other, she can communicate with them.

Robin touched her finger to the next one and the next. Each Pokemon is completely unique, something that was extremely overwhelming when she was trying to adjust to her abilities. They each made her feel a different way when she went near them, almost like she was granted the ability to see every shade of color in existence after ten years of just black and white.

Impulsively... or rather, after a long process of thinking about nonsense and _then_ impulsively, she reached for the one that felt right. She turned it in her hands, taking another deep breath, and nodding. "Okay," she whispered. She turned around, only to be immediately enveloped in one of Bianca's swallowing hugs, Cheren coming around to sling an arm over her shoulders: they both knew exactly how badly she had gotten sick, exactly how close she had come from dying from it, exactly how bad her fear of Pokemon actually was. It was only now that she realized that they were just as scared as she was.

"Hurry up guys," she reminded them quietly. "We need to leave soon."

"Right, I'm next," Bianca said, her voice rising a little as she lost control of her thrill. "Wait, which one did you get?"

"She's an Oshawott. I'm gonna name her Nori," Robin replied, and they didn't question her. She rested her head on Cheren's arm again while Bianca chose, though she didn't take nearly as long as Robin had. She picked up a ball and dropped it; in a flash of light, the Tepig stumbling out in a whir of orange and black. Bianca's jaw dropped. "Oh my _freaking _gosh, he's cute. That settles it, I call this one. Cheren, this is yours." She tossed the last ball carelessly into Cheren's startled hands. "Th- that's not fair! You can't decide what Pokemon I get."

"I didn't. You just get the one left over."

"What if I want the Pokemon you got?"

"Guys..."

"Well then tough _nuggets_, mister! I got him _first_." Bianca stuck her tongue out again, picking the little pig off the ground and cradling him.

"You didn't even give me a chance to go second. I want the one you have," Cheren countered. Bianca's gaped at him, horrified. Robin rolled her eyes: just when you think they're going to handle this like adults, they prove you wrong. "_Guys_-"

"You _can't tell me what to do_!" Bianca shrieked. "I want him, he's mine."

"Well which one are you forcing on me?"

"Snivy," Robin piped up, massaging her forehead as a migraine started to come along.

"Oh. That's the one I wanted anyways," Cheren shrugged. Robin sunk her fingernails into one of his arms, banging her head against his shoulder. "Augh! You guys are so _annoying_!"

Bianca just grinned, jumping up and down. "Ooh, everyone's got a Pokemon now," she sang. "We should totally have a Pokemon battle."

"Oh my _God_, Bianca," Cheren growled, but this time Robin had to agree with him. "Cheren's right, B. Even though they're still baby Pokemon, we shouldn't have battles in the middle of my bedroom. I've got to live here, you know."

"Aw come _on_. Like you said, they're still baby Pokemon. We _have_ to let them battle! What if they get hurt on our way to Striation, because we didn't let them practice before we whipped them out in the tall grass?" A shiver ran up Robin's spine: she's had a lot of bad experiences in tall grass.

"We _have_ to let them battle," Bianca repeated insistently, pulling Robin by her wrists to the center of her floor and nudging Cheren away. "It's settled. Ooh, I am _so_ ready for this. Um, I- I call out Tepig."

Robin lolled her head to the side and gave Cheren a Look, but he just shrugged, rolling his eyes. She groaned. "Ugh, _fine_. I call out Nori."

To her surprise, the split second after Nori was released from her Pokeball, she fled for refuge under Robin's bed, both confused and frightened with the surroundings she suddenly found around her. _This is her first time since she was born where she was let out_, Robin realized, moving forward and crouching down beside her mattress. Nori backed further away, confused. She could hear Robin's thoughts in her head, she could tell that Robin could feel how she's feeling. She backed further away, wanting to know why, but she didn't know. She had no idea. Nori didn't have to doubt the truth behind the thought- she could see right through Robin's mind, she could look up anything she wanted. What happened to her dad, how she felt about this whole situation, everything she's ever thought about her two best friends, even if she didn't want to.

"What's happening?" Cheren asked, but no one answered him. Robin held her hand out just outside of Nori's hiding spot, an offer. The little Pokemon hesitated, still unsure of herself. But finally, she placed one of her paws in Robin's hand.

"Is she okay?" Bianca asked. Robin bent down to scoop up the little Oshawott and carried her back to her spot across from Bianca. "Yeah, she's fine. Just a little mixed up."

"Are we still going to have the battle?"

Nori gave her approval at once, squirming in Robin's arms and making an honest effort to look tough while being cradled like a small child. Robin smiled, setting her new friend down. "Yeah."

It didn't take long for little Nori to beat Bianca's Tepig, but she was so tired that once she won, the poor thing cuddled at Robin's feet and almost fell asleep. Bianca glanced up. "Wow..."

Robin looked around, following her friend's glance as she gingerly picked Nori up, and almost dropped her. Bianca met her eye, apologetic. Because they all knew who was going to have to clean this up before her mother came home.

For starters, the TV was knocked over, as was the dresser, her potted plant, and the trash bin. Her coffee table was thrown clean across the room and rammed up onto her desk, where, surprisingly, her computer rested unbothered and unharmed. Cheren tried his best not to step on any of the books scattered all around as he joined them in the middle of the room.

"We _told_ you this was a bad idea," Cheren sighed, kicking at the wrinkled rug. How had she not noticed _that_? She was _standing _on it the entire time! "I am so dead," she agreed, pressing her palm to her forehead. "Here, Cheren, help me with this." She set Nori's half asleep form on her bed, gesturing at one of the messier areas.

"Robin, you're gonna be an awesome Trainer, I mean it!" Bianca gushed, making both of her friends- who had since left her to attempt to remove the coffee table from the desk without bothering the computer- start and nearly drop it. Cheren flashed one of his small, half-heartened smiles. "You should have seen the look on your face. You're going to be difficult to compete against for Champion."

Robin grimaced at the envious look in his eye. "I don't think I want it."

Cheren really did drop the table this time, jolting Nori awake for a moment before she settled back down. "Wait, I thought you were going for the title. Didn't you say- hey, didn't she stay she was going for the Championship title?" he demanded, suddenly a lot more upset than Robin thought he would be. Bianca shrugged, her lower lip sticking out in an I-could-care-less pout. Robin set the heavy table down in a huff, annoyed with him for making her attempt to hold it up alone. "Yeah, I _had_ thought about it. But I've got more things to worry about, you know that. Besides, don't you want it?"

Cheren didn't answer. He frowned. "I- I guess... Bianca, we could use a little help here." Robin narrowed her eyes at Cheren's response- he wanted to be Champion so bad it wasn't funny, and they all knew it. He practically kissed the ground Alder walked on. He would prance around the guy in a leotard and throw rose petals into the air if that's what it took to get that title. He'd hate every moment of it, he'd complain and curse and would never look anyone in the eye again, but he'd do it.

"Oh _man_, I need to get the mop for these paw-prints." Bianca ran for the exit but was gone sooner than they thought: she had tripped a couple steps. "I'm okay," she called, sticking her head back up through the opening.

She was back up in a flash, this time with no accidents, and proceeded to mop the floor while Robin pulled her now shredded sheets from her bed (Nori had since been returned to her Pokeball) and Cheren began stacking her books back up. While they worked, Bianca babbled. "Pokemon are so amazing. They are so little and cute, but they're also so strong at the same time. How do their little bodies keep so much energy inside? How do they even fit into Pokeballs? Pokeballs are so tiny. Whatever, I'm just glad I have my very own Pokemon. What do you think my dad would think? He doesn't really like me doing anything dangerous. Not that Pokemon are really that dangerous, I mean, it's not like we're the ones battling, right? But look at the mess they made!"

"You... are completely hopeless. You know that, right?"

"Shut up, Cheren," Robin said. She liked it when Bianca babbled. It meant she was doing something productive, and was trying to keep from being bored by talking. It was better than having another Pokemon battle.

They didn't completely finish the room when they took a break, but it was better than before. Cheren sighed, standing between the two girls as they admired their handy-work. "Here, I'll heal your Pokemon for you," he said, pulling out a little contraption that resembled some sort of incubator waffle-iron. Bianca handed hers over without comment, both girls watching as he placed it inside and began pressing buttons. He handed it right back when he was finished, turning to Robin. "Yours too."

Robin pulled Nori's Pokeball out of her back pocket and handed it over, grinning when he took half the time with hers than he did with Bianca. she paused, turning the ball in her hands. Bianca glanced between them, grinning her toothiest of grins. "Oh, you should totally have a battle too."

"Bianca-"

"With everything you two experts know about Pokemon, I bet you can battle anywhere without turning the room into a total dump like I did!" Bianca interrupted him, taking several steps back and letting her words sink in. Robin still didn't like the idea, but Bianca had complimented Cheren intelligence- which everyone knew he secretly loved- and he turned back to her. "I believe she's right," he admitted.

"But my room-"

"I'm sure it won't get as bad as before. besides, we're not even finished cleaning it yet, and I want a turn battling the infamous 'Robin Hallows' before she's unbeatable too. We might as well."

She groaned, waving her arms in defeat. "Can we at _least_ move the computer?"

They moved the computer off the desk and into the closet, which was actually a second, tiny room with poles to hang clothes off of installed into each wall. When she was little, Robin used to use it as a clubhouse where only she and her friends could come in. It used to make her sister really mad when she wasn't invited to the parties they threw in there every weekend, so to get revenge, Lisa had made her own club under the kitchen table and would pinch their feet if they ever dared to sit there while she was under it. They had to start inviting her after _someone_ (Bianca) accidentally kicked her feet out when Lisa pinched her.

"Are you coming?"

Robin spun around; she hadn't realized that she had been stupidly staring at the closet all this time. Now, Bianca was neatly folded up at the foot of Robin's bed, and Cheren had taken to impatiently crossing his arms across his chest in front of her window. She had never seen him look this excited as she approached him, tossing his Pokeball onto the rug. She sighed, giving in.

Since Cheren was the most predictable person on the planet sometimes, this battle wasn't nearly as interesting as Bianca's was. Granted, the reason why a lot of Bianca's moves were so interesting was because she had absolutely no idea what she was doing and would often pick the worst possible move, not to mention that Cheren was pretty clever with pulling the same thing she used on him back at her, or that his grass-type has an advantage over a water-type Pokemon like hers. Snivy still passed out in a few moments, being that much less experienced than Nori was.

Just as Cheren brought him back inside his Pokeball, Nori started glowing, and did a cute little jig before running to hug one of Robin's ankles. The little Pokemon's eagerness flashed in Robin's head with so much fierceness, it was like Robin was feeling it herself. It was the first time her gift had really hit her this strongly. She giggled, picking her up and letting her climb over her arms and onto her hat. _We just might be getting the hang of this_, she thought proudly, both to herself for her fear of Pokemon, and for Nori for her fear of Robin's bizarre gift.

"So that was a battle," Cheren thought aloud, holding his chin in some sort of thinker's pose. Whenever he made that pose during lunch at school his arch-nemesis, Karie Franks, would make fun of how much of a geek he was. Cheren didn't care though- at least he was getting good grades instead of attempting to distract the teacher from teaching the lesson like she did, right?- and that drove Karie (who's got issues) up the wall.

"You know, I don't even think I care if I lost my first battle. I'm finally a Trainer," he mused. Robin smiled: it had been Cheren's dream more than either of the girls to be a Trainer- and finally, Pokemon Champion. He had always idolized Robin's father to no content for the stories he told about his time on his own journey. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for him to hold onto that dream, especially with that bully of a big brother of his. Luckily, Robin knew how to handle him growing up, and then he left to cause havoc in another unsuspecting region a couple years ago. But believe it or not, it was Cheren who was the true dreamer of their trio.

"Robin, honey? What's going on up there?" called her mother's voice from downstairs, shaking all three of them out of their moment. "Oh damn," Bianca whispered, eying the stairs like they'd come to live and were coming for her. Crap, her mom was home a day early, and they weren't finished with the room.

Bianca panicked, grabbing the bottle of all-purpose cleaner and spraying a part of the wall that didn't need cleaning. "Quick! Robin, pick up the trash, and Cheren, fix the rug, and I'll go clean the tables!" she ordered, nearly shoving Robin into Cheren's arms in her rush to finish their mess. Robin frowned, looking at what was left of their disaster. It wasn't that bad anymore, she had to admit. Besides, Robin's mother had knowingly married Robin's father, a Pokemon Professor and eccentric scientist whose Pokemon caused more messes than even Robin could accomplish when she was a mischievous and wickedly determined toddler; this room probably wouldn't come as much of a shock to her. Still, she guessed Bianca wasn't used to a messy house and slacking on chores back home.

"We'd better go apologize," Cheren said finally, pulling Bianca down the stairs by her elbow as she ranted away about not being done. Robin followed, taking one last look at what's left of her room: it was still kind of messy, but not a serious issue anymore. She sighed, continuing to join her friends.

Robin's mom is, first and foremost, extremely beautiful. She had long, golden brown hair she always tied back in a low ponytail, a sweet face and a great figure, and that's just how she looked physically. She's also one of the nicest people in Nuvema: since her father's status in the community paid the family for their loss when he disappeared and she no longer needed to work, she instead turned to focusing her attention on charities. It used to just be around Unova that she worked, but now that Robin's old enough to take care of herself she can branch out to other regions. This time she had been in Kanto, which just so happened to be her hometown, as well as where Lisa went to school.

"What did you guys do to these sheets? Are you hiding something?" her mom asked teasingly, lifting them up from the laundry basket for them to see. Robin pursed her lips at Bianca, whose eyes widened in innocent surprise. Why did she put them in the _laundry basket_? Didn't she know her mom _checked_ that?

Cheren coughed, coming forward as a gentleman should when his two best friends were in peril. "I'm very sorry about the mess Mrs. Hallows. We got a little carried away and weren't paying much attention to what was going on around us."

"We'll clean it!" Bianca added helpfully. As usual, Bianca's no good under pressure, and she ended up shouting it. Robin's mom just chuckled, patting Bianca on the shoulder. "No worries, guys, I was just kidding. I'll clean it up later. This is because of those new Pokemon Professor Juniper sent over, isn't it? Aren't you supposed to meet her pretty soon?"

"Oh yeah, you're right. Please excuse us, Mrs. Hallows," Cheren pressed his lips together guiltily as he backed towards the door, leaving her to clean up after them. Robin couldn't help but feel a little ashamed herself for asking her mother to do things for her that she could be doing herself. It's sort of why she made a point to clean up any mess she made before her mom could get a chance to. Bianca followed, but with the opposite expression: she happy to have the work taken off her shoulders. With her home life, it was understandable that she didn't mind getting help like this. "Oh, wait!" Bianca spun around, hitting her forehead with her palm and tripping a little on her way out the door. "I've got to go home first. I'll be there in a second, alright?" she waved, darting in the direction of her house.

"I'll see you there then," Cheren added, still at the door. He nodded, more to himself than to her, and closed the door behind him. Robin turned once he was gone, wincing at her mom's pursed lips as she folded the sheet and set it back in the basket. "My, my Robin, Pokemon battles in our house? I thought you knew better than that." Robin opened her mouth to apologize, but her mother continued before she could. "But they _are_ wonderful, aren't they? You actually remind me of your father when we had our first Pokemon battle. I won that time, but he sure did work hard to make sure it never happened again." She laughed, looking up at nothing as she replayed the memory in her head.

Robin's mom, her dad, and Bianca's mom had all been best friends since they were kids, just like Robin, Cheren, and Bianca. She was introduced to her future husband and neighbor when she was twelve years old, coming to Unova with her parents and baby brother during summer vacation so she could have a chance to study fifth generation Pokemon. It was love at first sight, and the rest was easiest enough. She'd sometimes spent her summers in Unova, he and Bianca's mom would pitch in so they could go visit her in Kanto. She moved out here permanently when she was eighteen, and they got married soon after that. It was her favorite bedtime story when she was a baby.

Robin cleared her throat, suddenly uncomfortable. It was times like this where she didn't know what to say; it was better for both of them if they didn't continue the conversations further than this. Until very recently, it was painful for her mom to even think about her husband. She used to bury herself in her charities so far that she'd sometimes be gone for a couple weeks, just so she wouldn't have to think of him. Robin would do anything to ensure that never happened again.

Just then, Nori attempted to climb off of her hat and onto her shoulders. She slipped and grabbed hold of Robin's ponytail to keep herself upright, balancing awkwardly against the back of her head. Mrs. Hallows' face lit up, as if she hadn't noticed the little thing sitting up there. "This is the one you chose? She's so cute! I didn't even know her species lived in this region. Or at least, anywhere near here." She giggled, helping Nori down and putting her in Robin's arms. "Well, you better get going. I'll get started on this mess..."

"Thanks mom," Robin replied, trudging towards the door. She took a step outside, but remembered something, and stuck her head back inside. "How was Lisa?" she asked, remembering how her mother had just returned from where her little sister went to school.

"She's fine. She's managed to make some friends, thank goodness. I promised to have you call her when I got home, so take your 'cross-transceiver', okay?"

"Oh. Oh yeah." She leaned back inside and barely managed to reach the end of her watch with her fingertips from where it rested on the counter, without having to take either of her feet off her porch. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Okay, great. Now get going!"

"Y- you don't have to clean my room," Robin added. She kept feeling like she was forgetting something; every time she went back outside, something new came to her head and she just had to come back inside to get it done. Maybe she was procrastinating. It was in her nature to procrastinate.

"Robin, don't worry about it. Don't keep your friends waiting."

"O- Okay. I will. Thanks, Mom." She had to nearly be pushed out the door, but once it was closed she no longer needed to barge back inside. She could feel her confidence rise higher in her chest as she cut across her lawn in the direction of the professor's office. She could see Cheren leaning against the wall by the door as he waited for them; he looked up when she approached, indifferent. "Where's Bianca?" he wondered, just as the all-too-familiar bellowing from the house beside hers made them both start. Robin rolled her eyes.

"I'll be right back," she sighed, hurrying back down the road to come to the rescue of her friend. She let herself in Bianca's house, making a point to duck her head so that she wasn't so easily seen. Inside, Bianca's father was towering over his daughter, waving his arms wildly in the air as he shouted, "A thousand times no! What the _hell_ makes you think I'd be okay with this?"

Bianca, who had been cowering beneath the anger of his words, bit her lip and straightened up. "But, I- I'm... I'm a good Trainer. I got picked for this job out of a bunch of different people, I got a Pokemon and everything. You _promised_ I could go." She didn't wait for her father's answer; she covered her ears with her hands and stormed out the front door, right into Robin. Quickly, she looked back and forth between her friend and her father, and let her arms fall loosely to her sides. "Oh..." she mumbled.

"Bianca-" Robin began, but Bianca stopped her, giving a weak smile. "It's okay. I'm fine, really." She sniffed, pulling the door closed. Just inside, Mrs. Juarez had forced her husband back into his armchair, whispering comforting words as she patted his hand. He didn't seem to be listening- he was too distracted- but he didn't look back at them as the door closed shut with a final click.

Robin could just stand there. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words. She felt like such a terrible friend. "I'll, um, meet you at the lab, okay?" Bianca sniffled. She went around Robin and was off her doorstep in a heartbeat, her friend at her heels. There was no way in hell she was going to be anywhere near that house when Mr. Juarez blows another casket.

Cheren hadn't moved from his spot in the time it took to get Bianca out of her house. He was still waiting for them against the wall with that blank look that seemed to always be on his face now-a-days, like he's got a million things to worry about and was making sure to pay sufficient amounts of attention with each one. He didn't speak when he saw Bianca silently crying beside her, but Robin could tell he was worried for her. His eyes lingered on her tear-splattered face for a second, and sighed. "Okay, great. Let's go." He opened the door and shooed them inside, following close behind.

"Oh, hi there!" Professor Juniper exclaimed as she came around from her desk, what seemed to be her everyday greeting. "I've been waiting for you young people, what took you so long? Let me introduce myself again. My name is-"

"Professor, we know your name," Cheren explained exasperatedly. Robin kicked him, but Professor Juniper simply smiled. "Come on, Mr. Toro. You don't need to be so serious all the time. Today is a special day to remember always, the beginning of the rest of your lives! There's not really much to say today, since almost everything was explained last week, so let's just have fun with this. I just have to make sure you understand everything about taking care of your Pokemon and collect your Pokedex."

"What's a Pokedex, again?" Bianca wondered, furrowing her eyebrows. Her eyes were still red and swollen from crying, but she managed to keep her voice calm enough to ask her question without causing more attention to herself. Robin shot a glare at Cheren, just waiting for him to complain, smiling proudly when he didn't.

The professor beamed, handing them each a small rectangular device. It had a small dark screen on one half and a couple buttons on the other, glossy, thin, and small enough for Robin's hand to wrap all the way around it. She stuck it in her bag, trying to focus on what Professor Juniper was about to say, even with everything that was on her mind right then.

When the professor finished. she intertwined her fingers in front of her and stood patiently before them. "I was quite impressed with your applications, how much you three already knew about Pokemon Training to begin with. You've already studied Pokemon extensively, haven't you? With Professor Hallows?"

"Y- yes ma'am," Bianca stammered, leaning forward to give Robin a Look, unsure if it was alright to bring him up. Again, Professor Juniper continued like nothing happened. "Let me explain everything from the beginning just to make sure everything's clear. The Pokedex is a high-tech device that automatically records the Pokemon you encounter..." Robin's attention wandered, like it usually did whenever she was being told something she already knew. She thought back to when she was younger, when her problems weren't as big or as much but they were still there. Back then, the most horrible thing that could happen was to catch Cheren's brother in a bad mood. Now her life was a mess.

"Robin," Cheren hissed, nudging her. She blinked, trying to focus.

"... So I want you tree to visit places and meet all of the Pokemon in the Unova region. This is my request, and your mission," Professor Juniper finished, just in time. She grinned, looking between the three of them a few times, as if they were destined for something big but they didn't know it yet. "Robin, Cheren and Bianca: are you ready to go on the adventure of a lifetime?"

Well, _she_ really knew how to make a girl feel special. Robin hadn't realized just how big this decision was, or that the result would have such a major impact on how she spent the rest of her life. It was the fork that split the road in two, one leading to adulthood and seeing the world while the other took her back to where she was safe, and comfortable. But as fun as being safe sounded, there was some stuff she _had_ to know. It was why she let herself go through this in the first place.

"Damn right I am!" Robin blurted out, before she could stop herself. Bianca snickered and even Cheren flashed a lopsided smile at her response, so rare and real that she had to double take to make sure it really happened. He pressed his lips together, embarrassed.

"Um, alright, okay!" Bianca agreed, bouncing. "I- I mean, yes, Professor!"

"Thanks for the opportunity," Cheren added, and Robin knew exactly what he meant: no one knew more than him what it was like to be told that he'd never have this chance. There used to be a time when he actually believed it.

Professor Juniper smiled. "Thank _you_, you guys. You have just given the best possible answer. I wish you all luck." She bowed her head slightly and turned away from them, moving into the next room and leaving the three friends amongst themselves. Robin had never seen either of them this excited: Bianca was hugging her Pokedex to her chest and whispering "oh my gosh, _oh my gosh_, this is actually happening", over and over. Even Cheren looked a little breathless.

"Excited?" she teased them, leading the way back outside. Right then Bianca came to a halt, her face falling. "I- I can't go," she announced, her eyes glued to the back of her house. "My dad said so..." her friend frowned at each of the windows into her home, as if every one of them have done something wrong to her. Her lower lip stuck out in an annoyed pout. "But, you know, Professor Juniper _did_ ask us specifically... what do you think? Think it's alright?"

Robin and Cheren shared a glance. "_I_ think so, B, but it is up to you. Do you think it's alright?" Robin was downright terrified of Bianca's dad, even though as far as she could tell he's totally harmless. Bianca was very brave to stand up to him like that, or even take it when he yelled. If it were Robin, she probably would have cracked by now.

The petite blonde stood perched on the front steps of the professor's office, all the while watching her house. She wanted to make sure she wasn't being watched. She didn't want to be followed. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah, I think it's alright. I can explore and maybe find out what I want in life. Meet a nice boy, you know? Maybe fall in love. My dad can't keep me away from this forever."

"Of course," Cheren agreed. "We can go wherever we want as long as we are completing the Pokedex. It's probably a good idea to go everywhere, because there are all different kids of unique Pokemon out there. And we still have to think about the _other_ reason we're doing this." He glanced at Robin, who pressed her lips together: it's true, she did and always had an ulterior motive for trying to get this Pokedex. She looked around them, making sure there wasn't anyone within hearing range, but pulled both of her friends to the side of the lab just in case.

Cheren was the first to pull his arm out of her grip. "So, what's the first step of your plan to find out about your dad?" he asked, straightening the sleeve of his jacket. Robin bit her lip, looking back and forth between her friends. They had pretty much been there for her through everything, and she couldn't believe she was asking for help with something else. It was something she felt she should do alone, not that they would let her. But as much as she'd rather not distract her friends from their own missions, it didn't take her long to realize that she wasn't actually capable of dealing with this without them.

And as for the plan itself: she had put together bits and pieces of it her entire life. She's done research, looked through her dad's files, jotted down all the places he had been traveling to each time she called him to ask him to come home. She didn't have nearly enough information, but it was a start, right?

"Well, at first we should go on with our mission like we're supposed to." she explained. "You know, so we can get started on the Pokedex for Juniper, get a little more experienced, memorize the area a bit. It would also make our parents and the professor think that this is all we're up to."

"Got it."

"Then what?"

"Then," Robin continued, "we have to get Mark."

Mark was a freshman at Nimbasa University, also known as Robin's first steady boyfriend of two years before he graduated high school. He was adored by Bianca, who seemed to have been even more distraught about him leaving than Robin was, but he wasn't really liked much by Cheren. In fact, Cheren's attitude was like he was trying to butt Mark right out of her lives. Robin used to think it was only natural: they had been best friends since forever, and they were so used to just being a trio. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"Oh my gosh, really?"

"Do we _have _to?" Cheren grumbled. Robin narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms. He _always_ acted this way when it came to Mark. "Yes, we _have to_. He's got the experience from college that we don't, and he's already been all over Unova on his own journey. Besides, he will probably know where to look: he's been researching it in the college's library between classes for me."

"But can't you just ask Ruby? I mean, he goes to college too." Robin's older cousin Ruby had been best friends with her ex since Mark first moved to Nuvema in Robin's eighth grade year. Ruby's parents had both died in an accident when he was fourteen, and he came to live with them around the same time Robin started recovering from her illness. He's been like her elder brother ever since.

Robin shook her head, although she had considered asking Ruby before. "No, he's of on his own project with that girl he likes, studying water-type Pokemon or something. I forgot her name... Anyways, I think he's finally going to ask her out, so we shouldn't-"

"It doesn't mean we _have_ to ask Mark," Cheren growled under his breath. She paused again, pursing her lips, and spinning around to face Bianca. "B, do _you_ have a problem with Mark joining us?" she asked sweetly.

"Heck no! I _love_ the guy. He's like the coolest person ever."

Robin smiled teasingly at Cheren, who made a face. They both had already known what her answer would be. "Then it's settled. Once we meet up with Mark, we can get more serious about finding my dad." She paused, thinking over what she said. "I- I mean, find out what _happened_ to-"

"We know what you meant," Cheren mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. He sighed, shaking his head: he wasn't going to let her win this battle so easily. "So, hey, I think I heard your mom calling you. And... I left my duffel bag back at my house, so Bianca and I can go grab it real quick, you can see what she wants, and we can meet up in front of Route 1 in ten minutes. Sound good?"

"Thanks Cheren," Robin smiled, kissing him on the cheek before she scurried from their hiding spot. She could _not_ believe she just did that. The heat rushed to her face at the realization that yes, she'd actually done it; she had to concentrate as hard as she could on her breathing, putting more distance between them until her bout of embarrassment went away. Robin ended up finding her mom sooner than she had thought, her head stuck through the door into Professor Juniper's lab, asking quite loudly if she knew where Robin was over the loud, shrill sound of what seemed to be a drill that came from inside. "Mom?" Robin had to shout, tapping her on the shoulder. Her mom jumped, spinning around. "Oh, there you are! So, what did the professor say?" She put an arm around her daughter's shoulders and led her back down the street, leaning in as though the answer of her question was supposed to be this big secret. Robin shrugged. "She just gave us a Pokedex, and-"

"Oh, the Pokedex mission. I remember mine well. Actually, I don't actually think I finished it..." her mom added as an afterthought, coming to a halt in the middle of the road. "But you know, Professor Juniper seems to have a lot of faith in you three, so I'm sure you'll handle it well. You _are_ your father's daughter, after all."

"Yeah..."

"Well, take care of each other. I brought you these Town Maps for each of you in case you get lost. And remember to eat a balanced diet, and be careful around strangers, and when you set up your tent, be sure to, you know, follow the directions very carefully. Don't want it to come crumbling down on you in your sleep, right?"

"Right."

"And I mean it about taking care of each other. Especially Bianca. I'd hate to see what will happen if she comes home to that father of hers with something like a full body tattoo or the wrong colored hair."

"Of course, Mom. I won't let them out of my sight."

"Excellent. Oh and, well, I tried to clean your room- or what's left of it- but today's such a big day, I think I'll leave it until tomorrow."

"Mom, you don't have to-"

"No, I can't just leave it there until you come back." She hugged her daughter quickly and tried to brush some of Robin's wavy hair out of her face, sad and proud at the same exact time. "You just concentrate on taking care of yourself, okay?"

"I will, Mom," Robin reassured her, as her mother finally let her go and headed back towards their house. She was really going to miss her, but she knew that her mom would always be just a CT call away if she needed her. Anyways, it's about time she grew up, and became more independent. This was her chance to be an adult for once in her life. So the moment her mother was gone, Robin nearly sprinted down to Route 1, to the first step of their adventure.

* * *

Oh my God this one is way longer. This isn't even one of the longer chapters and this one took up a whole day of my life just to, like, modify and stuff. There's still more to come, too... this is going to take a while.


End file.
